New on our blog: the human side of ecosystem recovery is essential. PSI's Rob Anderson, co-author on a new paper in Coastal Management, puts it simply: most environmental issues are as much about people and politics as they are about nature itself. www.pugetsoundinstitute.org/how-puget-so...

Tire companies and their chemical suppliers are working overtime to find a safe and effective replacement for the toxic tire additive 6PPD. Our senior writer Christopher Dunagan reports on which companies are in the hunt. www.eopugetsound.org/article/play...

New in the Encyclopedia of Puget Sound: The northern right whale dolphin is one of the most unusual marine mammals in the world and it can sometimes be spotted in the Salish Sea. It is one of only two dolphin species without a dorsal fin. www.eopugetsound.org/article/nort...

Chemical companies are searching for an alternative to a deadly tire chemical killing salmon in Puget Sound. We take an in-depth look at their efforts to find a replacement for 6PPD. www.eopugetsound.org/article/tire...

Sea lion season in Ballard is winding down, but they're still at Shilshole Marina's boat lift dock (Dock X). Herring restoration efforts led by the Suquamish Tribe are showing signs of success. The sea lions are following the fish. eopugetsound.org/species/marine-mammals

SeabirdsLive! brought together seabirds, science, and a packed house. We even learned that rhinoceros auklets are, genetically speaking, actually puffins. Thank you Eric Wagner, Peter Hodum, and Jeff Rice — and our sponsors: UW Tacoma, @univpugetsound.bsky.social @uwapress.uw.edu & King's Books.

Author Eric Wagner and seabird biologist Peter Hodum in conversation about seabirds and the Salish Sea. Books for sale, book raffle, and a signing with Wagner. FREE — seating is limited. TICKETS are going fast. Get yours→ tinyurl.com/SeabirdsLive

Meet Peter Hodum — seabird biologist and University of Puget Sound professor. He joins author Eric Wagner to discuss what #seabirds tell us about the Salish Sea at Seabirds Live! FREE, May 13, UW Tacoma. Register: tinyurl.com/SeabirdsLive 📷: Peter Hodum #TuftedPuffins #SalishSea #RhinocerosAuklet

The International Space Station crew got the wide shot. We're focused on what's in it — and everyone who calls it home. Happy Earth Day. #EarthDay #SalishSea #PugetSound

“To study rhinoceros auklets is to study the fish they need in order to live. Really I am a fish scientist, even if I cannot bring myself to admit it.” — Eric Wagner, Seabirds as Sentinels. Seabirds Live! — FREE May 13 UW Tacoma. Register → tinyurl.com/SeabirdsLive 📷 Peter Hodum

These Salmon Got High on Cocaine. That Wasn’t the Craziest Part. www.nytimes.com/2026/04/20/s...

How do you check on rhinoceros auklets nesting in deep burrows? Lie flat, drape a T-shirt over your head, thread an infrared camera into the dark. Photo: Eric Wagner Hear the stories at Seabirds Live! — FREE, May 13, UW Tacoma. Register: tinyurl.com/SeabirdsLive.... #SalishSea #SeabirdsAsSentinels

Spring is prime time to spot gray whales in Puget Sound. The Sounders are a small group that breaks off from the Pacific migration each spring to feed in northern Puget Sound—in some of the shallowest waters of any whale on earth. Check out the new profile in the EoPS: tinyurl.com/graywhalessa...

We just declared drought for the fourth year in a row. And this year, it’s statewide.

Trust Eric Wagner to see the poetry in science." Hear him discuss Seabirds as Sentinels live at Seabirds Live! — free, May 13, UW Tacoma. Link in bio to register. tinyurl.com/SeabirdsLive... #SeabirdsLive #SalishSea #RhinocerosAuklet #Seabirds #BookEvent

What can a rhinoceros auklet tell us about the health of the Salish Sea? Find out at Seabirds Live! A free multimedia event May 13 at UW Tacoma. Register: tinyurl.com/SeabirdsLive @birdsconnectsea.bsky.social @univpugetsound.bsky.social @kingsbooks.bsky.social @uwapress.uw.edu #seabirds #bookevent

Nature assessment describes both peril and promise, as humans relate to the natural world www.pugetsoundinstitute.org/nature-asses...

Our own Eric Wagner has a new book coming out in March! Read an excerpt from 'Seabirds as Sentinels' in The Seattle Times. The seabirds of Destruction Island off WA reveal impacts of climate change www.seattletimes.com/pacific-nw-m...

True or False? False killer whales are large dolphins shaped like a cigar. They can be acrobatic especially when feeding on fish. They rarely visit the Salish Sea. All true! Learn more. Link in bio >Species >Marine mammals of the Salish Sea Thx! @pspartnership @cascadiaresearch #marinemammals

Field trip! At Chambers Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant we learned loads about processing and treating urban waste. HUGE thanks to our @PierceCounty tour guides. Stay tuned for more photos. More on #pugetsound nutrient pollution at www.eopugetsound.org/hot-topics/n...

The four tires on your car can produce enough of the chemical 6PPDQ to kill more than 11 million salmon. That was the testimony of PSI-affiliate Ed Kolodziej in a recent court case over alleged violations of the Endangered Species Act by tire manufacturers. www.theguardian.com/environment/...

New fact sheet on top research priorities for keeping shellfish safe. PSI experts developed a research agenda focusing on reducing fecal pathogen pollution and boosting harvestable acreage. Download under Latest Research Agenda Products: tinyurl.com/PSResearchAg... @wadepthealth.bsky.social

Happy Valentine's from nature's power couples! Biologists sex beavers by smell (males = motor oil, females = rotten cheese) then matchmake pairs for WA watershed restoration. 367 beavers relocated, 12 dams built, salmon returned. View slides and video: www.pugetsoundinstitute.org/salish-sea-s...

Forever and EVERYWHERE...PFAS in Cortina.

"You are what you eat. Well, this is the corollary" -- I report on PFAS in wastewater biosolids and what they say about modern lifestyles for Salish Sea Currents, published by @pugetsoundinstitute.org: www.eopugetsound.org/article/conc...

Almost a quarter of humpback whales along the U.S. West Coast show scars from having survived an entanglement, according to a new overview published in the Encyclopedia of Puget Sound. www.eopugetsound.org/article/hump...

Humpback whales, absent for 100 years due to commercial whaling, have made a comeback. A new overview from @cascadiaresearch.bsky.social documents the whales' status and trends in the Salish Sea where groups of 100+ can sometimes be found in the Strait of Juan de Fuca. tinyurl.com/humpback-wha...

Scientists say it will take thousands of acres of restored habitat to help Puget Sound Chinook swim off the endangered-species list.

Partnering with beavers to restore salmon habitat: Tuesday, February 10 from 12:30 – 1:30 pm. Don't miss tomorrow's science roundtable about the Tulip Beaver Project. www.pugetsoundinstitute.org/february-10-...

17 research priorities vetted by toxics experts will tackle chemical pollution in Puget Sound. New agenda focuses on Vital Sign contaminants, 6PPD-Q, and microplastics. Fact sheets under Latest Research Agenda Products: tinyurl.com/PSResearchAg...

A new study by @thewdfw researchers explores how salmon create a "sense of place" and regional identity among Puget Sound residents. 87% surveyed named salmon as defining the region—more than any other species. Understanding these connections could help conservation engage communities.

Marine mammals of the Salish Sea compiled in one place: 32 species from killer whales to sea otters. Check out the new species list on the Encyclopedia of Puget Sound: www.eopugetsound.org/species/mari... Special thanks to @pspartnership.bsky.social and @cascadiaresearch.bsky.social.

How do Puget Sound researchers decide what to study next? The Grand Uncertainties Matrix identifies critical knowledge gaps to guide EPA funding and recovery work. This process has real impact—clarifying management needs and creating new restoration programs. Learn more: tinyurl.com/PSResearchAg...

A trial in California concerning the deadly tire chemical 6PPD is now underway. Will it have implications for the Puget Sound region? PSI-affiliate Ed Kołodziej testified as a witness. courthousenews.com/trial-begins...

Washington lawmakers to decide whether to ban a tire chemical shown to be toxic to salmon. Christopher Dunagan reports for the PSI blog: www.pugetsoundinstitute.org/washington-l...

A new study finds juvenile coho salmon at risk from the deadly tire chemical 6PPDQ. Untold numbers of hatchery fish may be dying from exposure to tire-contaminated runoff. www.pugetsoundinstitute.org/juvenile-coh...

A recent paper in the journal Ecological Applications found that male cougars prefer to hunt in habitats where they are more likely to encounter humans. Could the findings be used to better understand and potentially minimize human-cougar conflicts? www.pugetsoundinstitute.org/where-mounta...

New in our magazine Salish Sea Currents: The year 2025 has been fairly mystifying to experts who make their living studying natural systems in the Puget Sound region. Christopher Dunagan reports on how unusual marine conditions might have affected wildlife. www.eopugetsound.org/article/look...

Tsleil-Waututh Nation & Fisheries Canada shared preliminary research tracking Burrard Inlet ecosystem changes: crab movement patterns, native vs invasive clam distributions, and drought-related oxygen drops in the Indian River. Watch the Salish Sea Science Roundtable video.

Most wastewater treatment for PFAS only traps the forever chemicals in filters. In a pilot study at Tacoma's plant, researchers destroyed >99% of PFAS using a two-step process. UWT, City of Tacoma, Aquaga & ECT2 shared results in Nov. Watch the recording to see how: youtu.be/Oq4wjDR0ID0?...

Counting salmon is a breeze with airborne eDNA www.washington.edu/news/2025/11...

Cold water corals in Salish Sea unlock new insights into ocean health Study: Acidification in the Pacific foreshadows world's other waters www.cascadiadaily.com/2025/nov/13/... Via Cascadia Daily and @uwnews.uw.edu

They aren't technically marine mammals, but for the 40 grizzlies that roam B.C.'s Glendale Cove, the connection to the Salish Sea and its salmon is profound. There's some incredible footage of these bears in the latest Salish Sea Wild from @seadocsociety.bsky.social www.youtube.com/watch?v=pUZZ...

The next Salish Sea Science Roundtable is Tuesday, Dec 2 | 12:30 - 1:30. Hear from the Tsleil-Waututh Nation and Fisheries and Oceans Canada on salmon, clam, and crab research projects in Burrard Inlet. Register at: washington.zoom.us/meeting/regi...

How is Puget Sound doing? The 2025 State of the Sound report from the Puget Sound Partnership takes a candid look at the progress and challenges driving Puget Sound recovery. Among the takeaways: "When we do invest in recovery, we see results." stateofthesound.wa.gov

Updated SKRW news.

The Puget Sound Ecosystem Monitoring Program released the latest Marine Waters Overview. The report combines a wealth of data from comprehensive monitoring programs and provides a concise summary of what happened in Puget Sound’s marine waters during 2024. #pugetsound #marinewaters #waterquality

Rare marbled murrelets in Commencement Bay? Wait, what? Biologist and science writer Eric Wagner reports for our magazine Salish Sea Currents on summer sightings of one of our region's most threatened bird species. www.eopugetsound.org/article/fiel...

New in our magazine Salish Sea Currents: Knowing the cause of sea star wasting disease allows scientists to look for ways to increase resilience among the ravaged sea star population. Christopher Dunagan reports. www.eopugetsound.org/article/one-...